Human Rights

At the Human Rights in Scotland conference in Glasgow today. Good venue and very interesting event. Little mention of culture, though Articles 29 & 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child were mentioned. Very good speakers, but found Councillor Graham from Glasgow City Council particularly inspiring, as well as contributions from the Scottish Information Commissioner and the Scottish Human Rights Commission. Professor Greg Philo spoke about an exercise which his students undertake - writing letters to newspapers, calling into programmes, etc, to challenge negative representations (of eg asylum seekers or people on benefits) in the mainstream media. Great idea.

However, the blip is of a new multi-media resource, Learning Through Film, designed to help further the understanding of human rights in Scotland through education. The book and workshops are based on a documentary, the New Ten Commandments. Really impressive. So much so that, in the 5 minutes I spent in the office on the way home, 4 colleagues expressed an interest in it and one asked why I hadn't brought him a copy!

Today left me both inspired and a bit livid. Stats quoted at the event: only 22% of UK population support human rights with 26% against, and 41% 'conflicted'. The Conservative party are reviewing how to 'fix' human rights laws, including withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights.

Many speakers talked about the opportunities the referendum debate brings to highlight human rights issues and grasp opportunities for change, to further evolve and become a fairer, more equal society, whatever the outcome. I hope we take this opportunity.